Jury Room

“We the jury, find the defendant…”

As I sit here in the Central Jury Room awaiting the judge to arrive, my mind is racing about our American judicial system and how it works. In just moments or possibly hours, I could be called in to take part in someone’s “Jury of their peers”, with all of my pre-judgments, faults, misconceptions, experience, good and bad.

During the process of “Voir Dire” is in place for the judge and attorneys to search for biases among the potential jurors that might prevent them from being fair and impartial. For example, if I woke up that morning and saw someone vandalizing my mailbox and I showed up at the court that morning and the case that I’d be sitting on involved someone accused of vandalism, then they probably would not choose me to be on that case because of my inability to be “fair and impartial”.

As I dwelt on this process, I began to think of standing before God one day: The moment when I stand before the Judge of the universe who has watched me every moment of my life and knows even the depth of my thoughts and motives. He has watch me “vandalize His mailbox” and more and I’m standing trial for “all of the above”. In reality, I’m doomed before I even come before Him. The evidence is beyond any doubt and is clear.

However, there is a person in the “court room”; actually, it’s the Son of the Judge standing by and when all of the evidence is presented, He stands and says to His Father, “I’ve already paid Mark’s debt, as He holds out His nail scarred hands.” At which point the Judge speaks the words, “Mark, you are free. All debts are paid and sins forgiven. Welcome home, my child.” The “tapes” from the security cameras are destroyed and all records and evidence of wrong-doing are annihilated, forever.

My friend, take a moment today and wrap you mind around this thought today and as you do allow your worship to be a response of gratitude to the One who has paid the debt that neither you nor I could ever pay. Glory to His Name: JESUS!

“…I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.”
Hebrews 10:17 (The Message)